DETROIT -- The Michigan Department of Corrections is trying to cut costs by switching prisoners over to cheaper medications and charging them more for phone calls.
According to the Detroit News, the corrections system is saving about $10 million a year by giving inmates generic drugs. One of the most prominent switches is for antipsychotic pills. But, some argue that switching to the generic forms is dangerous and isn’t cost effective.
Mark Reinstein, CEO of the Mental Health Association in Michigan, told the Detroit News that three of the most popular name brand antipsychotic drugs will soon be off the shelves, and the off-brand replacements will soon become widely available. They argue that it would be better for prisons to wait for those pills, rather than switching inmates to other generics now. The Department of Corrections, however, reports that the switch is already going well, and there have been no major medical issues.
In an unrelated attempt to save the state prison dollars, the Detroit Free Press reports that the cost of prison phone calls is going up. Inmates were previously charged 10 and 12 per minute to make an out-going call, but now they’ll have to pay anywhere from 18 to 20 cents per minute.
This rate increase comes as the Michigan Department of Corrections switches to the Public Communations Services phone company. The department reports the rate increase will help provide more phones in prisons and upgrade technology.
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Is it safe to switch inmates' medications to save money?
Should prisoners be charged more for phone calls?
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